College Students Catch Great White Shark Off South Florida Coast

Although a rare sight, this great white shark may have been following bluefish south.

Four college baseball players from Georgia made out with a bigger catch than expected during a fishing trip in South Florida.

The men caught a rare great white shark less than a mile and a half off the coast of Fort Lauderdale Tuesday afternoon.

"We released it as soon as  possible," said Captain Luis Perez, who also goes by Captain Taco. "The giant predator swam away, tired from a four-hour fight, but okay."

The college students were in South Florida for a baseball game, but their parents chartered Perez's boat, called "Hooked Up," during the team's downtime.

"I do not think they really understood what was going on until they saw the shark up close," Perez said. "Then they were thrilled."

The shark was about 13 feet long and weight 800 to 1,000 pounds, according to Perez.

Although a rare sight in South Florida, Perez said this shark was likely following bluefish, which do venture this far south every couple of years.

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